GOP US Senate Hopefuls Squabble in Court Over NY Primary Election Requirements

A dispute over the legitimacy of Cara Castronuova’s ballot signatures began after she sued the New York Republican State Committee.

(Left) Mike Sapraicone in Binghamton, New York state, on Feb. 22, 2024. (Right) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks in Dubuque, Iowa, on March 19, 2019. Courtesy of the Broome County Republican Committee; Scott Olson/Getty Images

The New York GOP nominee who is aiming to unseat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in November’s general election is locked in litigation with another aspiring Republican candidate.

Retired New York Police Department (NYPD) detective Mike Sapraicone, 76, and Queens Republican Party chairman Anthony Nunziato sued Cara Castronuova, 44, on April 15 in Albany court alleging that the required 15,000 signatures she gathered to be listed on the June 25 primary ballot are fraudulent and false.